The legendary point guard is trying to finish his career on a high note, and that involves getting back into playing shape while mentally preparing to compete for the Los Angeles Lakers.

All on the wrong side of 40.

Whomever the team hires to replace Mike D'Antoni really doesn't matter that much to him.

I'm sure he'd change his mind if the Lakers decided to hire Kobe Bryant's wife or someone without any basketball pedigree whatsoever, but he's not concerning himself with the process so long as LAL pursues legitimate candidates for such a high-profile job.

No kind of front-runner. To be honest, I've tried to get away and clear my mind, and hopefully clearing my mind will help my body. So I'm kind of just sitting back and not getting involved in the process—even emotionally—and just waiting to see what they decide...

I'm completely happy to have a conversation. But I'm also fine having nothing to do with it.

It's an interesting strategy, especially because it stands in stark contrast to what Kobe wishes.

Nash, suffice it to say, is not Kobe.

That much has been clear for years, and management shouldn't really concern itself with what the veteran point guard desires. Nash is likely to retire after fulfilling his contract by playing through the 2014-15 season, anyway.

"Here's an uncontroversial proposition on which we should all be able to agree," writes Bleacher Report's Stephen Babb. "Regardless of what direction the Los Angeles Lakers decide to go when selecting a new head coach, they should probably solicit some buy-in from their best player."

But what is Nash? At this point, is he even one of the team's five best players?

He is, given that the team has financial control over only him, Kobe, Robert Sacre and Kendall Marshall. However, that's going to change as soon as general manager Mitch Kupchak starts seeking out the services of some mid- and upper-level free agents.

Nash is preparing himself for the inevitable while simultaneously getting ready for the future.

Kudos to him for his awareness. It's the very same trait that's helped him have such an incredible career.